In The Beginning C9 Control of Power?

I gazed at Susan, incredulous that she would attack me without hesitation.

"What's the matter, young Lord?" Susan inquired, sporting a smile.

I remained silent, gradually distancing myself from the advancing Susan.

"You can't run forever, young Lord!"

Ugh... Can't believe she'd harm a child! I'm only 1.9 years old, for heaven's sake!

For now, I'll keep my distance from the witch and scout for weaknesses, but given the power gap, can I really counterattack?

Even if I spot a flaw in her swordplay, her substantial power could compensate for it. Susan isn't like Bladewyrm, who appears to be on my level!

"Didn't you notice, young Lord, when I mentioned earlier that Bladewyrm can easily destroy cities in the mortal realms?" Susan suddenly interjected.

Hmm? Why is Susan bringing this up now? Well, no matter. Buying time to heal my shoulder is crucial. But with my injury, will it truly heal that quickly?

"Yeah, I know. He can wreak havoc in the mortal realms, but nothing extraordinary in the Heavenly Realm, right?" I replied wearily.

Susan, hearing this, merely smiled, halting her teasing advance. "Indeed. And the young Lord can obliterate half of the world in the mortal realms..."

"Huh? Yeah, you already mentioned that, right?" I said, perplexed by Susan's unexpected turn in conversation.

"Did you notice the difference, young Lord?" Susan asked, smiling patiently.

"Difference?" I questioned, furrowing my brow.

"The difference, young Lord, is that while Bladewyrm can destroy cities, you have the power to obliterate half of the world."

Upon hearing this, it was as if a lightning bolt struck me, leaving me dumbstruck.

Wait... Bladewyrm can only destroy cities, and I can annihilate half the world! What a staggering contrast!

As this realization dawned on me, my eyes widened.

Susan, noticing my realization, remarked, "It seems the young Lord has grasped it." She paused and continued, "Indeed, young Lord. Your power surpasses Bladewyrm's by far. However, with such formidable strength, you still resort to trickery to defeat Bladewyrm..."

Embarrassed, I responded, "But... Bladewyrm is undeniably powerful, isn't it?"

Susan smiled, setting aside the wooden sword. "Bladewyrm is indeed potent, but only in the mortal sense. The young Lord surpasses Bladewyrm significantly. Bladewyrm can match the young Lord due to your inexperience and difficulty controlling your power. Hence, you engage in a reckless exchange of blows. Unlike Bladewyrm, who has mastered both power control and accumulated centuries of combat experience."

Understanding dawned on me as I said, "I see..."

"For now, the young Lord isn't ready to engage in a full-blown confrontation with me. Yet, I've already inflicted injury upon you, young Lord, even when holding back."

Upon hearing these words, I couldn't help but offer a wry smile.

"Let's pause the sparring for now, young Lord. There's much for you to learn. You must gain control over your power and strength before considering exchanging blows with me," Susan advised, her patience evident in her smile.

"Alright," I nodded in agreement. Faced with Susan, I felt utterly defenseless. Engaging in a real fight with her would only lead to more injuries.

At this moment, the bones in my shoulder seemed to have shattered, and I could sense the pain. If my previous life's body had experienced such agony, I might have been screaming, but this infant body of mine seemed strangely indifferent to it.

Perhaps it was because this current body of mine was divine?

Well, it was challenging to ascertain. For now, my priority was to heal this injury.

"Young Lord, forgive me for causing you such injury. I will now heal you," Susan gracefully bowed, placing her right hand on my shoulder. The wounds and shattered bones mended at a remarkably rapid pace.

I'm healed? Just like that? I thought, astonished by the swift recovery.

Well, being in the realm of the gods does seem remarkably convenient.

"Now, how can I gain control over my power and strength?" I inquired of Susan after the healing.

"Young Lord, despite being a year and nine months old, your growth is comparably slow compared to newly born gods," Susan remarked with a sigh.

Are you kidding me? I'm still growing at a snail's pace even though I already look like a four-year-old! I thought, feeling a bit speechless, to be honest.

"To harness and control your internal and external power, young Lord, you must develop your body to withstand such forces within and around you. Additionally, controlling your strength involves mental focus, achieved through the strong will of the young Lord and meditation."

Internal and external power, huh? Quite intriguing.

Meditation? It was actually a practice here?

"And with sufficient willpower and mental control, the young Lord can enhance not only his strength but also his command over internal and external power."

I nodded contemplatively.

I see... Mental focus, huh?

Looks like I need to incorporate meditation. That Chaos Tree seems like an ideal spot for it.

I smiled at the thought.

Initially perplexed about why Susan was introducing these teachings now, I soon discovered it was because she recognized my power potential when I displayed the Manipulation skill, controlling the sword.

Susan realized I might possess sufficient skill to learn meditation. To expedite body growth, she suggested drinking potions.

Kind of peculiar, to be honest. My body isn't even two years old...